CW gives Schwartz some good news

[Sylph]

From Variety:

CW gives Schwartz some good news

2nd pilot picked up for show creator

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

For Josh Schwartz, the TV gods giveth and taketh all in the same week: "The O.C." may be history, but the show creator has scored his second pilot pickup in as many days -- and just signed a rich overall deal with Warner Bros. TV.

The CW has greenlit "Gossip Girl," from Schwartz and fellow "O.C." alum Stephanie Savage, repping the Green net's first-ever scripted pilot order. Hourlong teen drama is based on the popular book series of the same name.

The "Gossip Girl" thumbs-up comes a day after NBC ordered "Chuck," a drama pilot from Schwartz and Chris Fedak. That means Warner Bros. TV's three-year, seven-figure pact with Schwartz is already paying off for the studio.

Pact keeps Schwartz at Warner Bros., where he created "The O.C." as one of the industry's youngest showrunners. Warner Bros. TV prexy Peter Roth has long considered Schwartz a homegrown success story.

"I've had a wonderful experience working with Peter Roth and his love of storytelling," said Schwartz.

"Gossip Girl" is about the world of New York teens and their parents, as told through the eyes of an anonymous blogger. The book series' 10 editions have sold more than 2 million copies and an 11th is in the works.

Warner Bros. TV pacted with "Gossip Girl" publisher Alloy Entertainment to adapt the books for TV; Schwartz was then brought in and re-teamed with Savage.

"It speaks to the culture that we live in now and the way that kids communicate," Schwartz said.

Schwartz and Savage will exec produce "Gossip Girl" along with Alloy's Bob Levy and Leslie Morgenstein.

Schwartz said the week's news was "bittersweet."

"It's an exciting time for me, but it comes with some sadness," he said. " 'The O.C.' was my first."

Also in pilot news Wednesday, CBS ordered the half-hour comedy "1321 Clover" from CBS Paramount Network TV and scribes Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh ("King of the Hill").

Single-camera comedy, which was a spec script that CBS Par just acquired, is shot documentary-style and revolves around a suburban family. Corrigan and Walsh, whose credits also include "I'm With Her," will exec produce.

(Josef Adalian contributed to this report.)

[DrewH]

So this is basically The O.C. on the east coast?

[Sylph]

Something like that, yes. Reworked version of O.C. and Athens.

[tina m]

YES! I LOVE Gossip Girl!!!!